Paths to Take
by DraconisMuse
Summary: A collection of stand alone drabbles and oneshots. Mostly involving a Po/Tigress relationship in one way or another. Some friendship, some angst, some romance, and some humor. There will be a little of everything and from different POVs.
1. Why?

Disclaimer: Guess what? That's right! I don't own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: Okay, so here's the start of this drabble/oneshot collection. For the record, these are not meant to be connected at all. They're all separate and unrelated to each other. Because of that there will be a couple that might have a similar premise (such as Tigress or Po realizing 'something', confessing something, injured, etc). It's basically where I'll put random drabbles and oneshots that I don't want to post on their own. These will, mostly, be Po/Tigress orientated in one way or another. There will be another author's note at the end of this drabble. Until then, this is from Tigress' POV and set during the first movie...

* * *

The guilt, anger, and disappointment festered inside of her. There had to be some meaning, some useful point, to this pain Tigress felt. She was not chosen as the Dragon Warrior. She had trained until training was her entire life. She had pushed herself past the physical and mental pain years before. She was numb now. Numb to the psychical pain, at least. She only wished she could be numb to the emotional pain.

She had let her Master down. Shifu had wished to be the teacher of the Dragon Warrior, it would have given him great honor, and she had wanted nothing more than to give him that. She had hoped that maybe it would bring him peace. But now they were both out of luck.

Because Master Oogway had chosen a panda.

A big panda who didn't know the first thing about Kung Fu.

She couldn't help but be angry with Oogway. He was supposed to be the wisest of them all. Why would he choose that idiotic panda, of all people? If one of the other members of the Furious Five had been chosen than she could have lived with it. They were her friends and had earned her respect, neither of which were easy things to accomplish. If one of them had been chosen over her than Tigress could have lived with it, even though she likely would have still been disappointed with herself. It would have been bearable though.

Instead it was that panda.

Tigress was good. Some would say she was even one of the best Kung Fu masters alive. Yet she had failed. Which meant that even if she was good, she obviously wasn't good enough. None of them were apparently. She was finding it difficult to accept that.

What had Master Oogway been thinking?

* * *

A/N 2: So what did you think? I know, this one is short. I hope you enjoyed it though. I have several other things written, but I'm not sure which to post next. I'll give three choices and if you'd like, you can vote which one I post here next in a review/PM. The choices are: Tigress waking up in an unusual position, Po having an overdue conversation with Tigress, or an angst Tigress POV. I can't describe them anymore without giving something away. So if one sounds especially interesting to you, let me know! And thanks for reading!


	2. Awkward Dilemma

A/N: And the winner is...'Tigress waking up in an unusual position'! Special thanks to those who voted and for everyone for reviewing! I still have more of these to post, so if you'd like to vote on the next one again there will be three more choices at the end. For a little background, this one takes place sometime after the first movie, but before the second. (Warning for a small amount of cursing at the end)

* * *

Tigress' eyes popped open, sleep dissolving in an instant as her senses immediately began to pick up every little detail of her surroundings. She was still in the cave that she and the others had taken refuge in for the night. The heavy rain had lessened to a drizzle outside as thunder rumbled in the distance. The smell of wet grass and trees drifting inside the cave. The others were breathing normally as they rested nearby. And...

And there was something heavy on her abdomen.

It didn't take her long to figure out what it was. It was large, covered in fur, and twitched every once in awhile. It was Po. More specifically, it was Po's arm. Her eyes widened a fraction when the panda tightened his grip, shifting closer to her side in his sleep. His face was now a mere whisker's length away from her neck and the fur of his chin grazed her shoulder. If he got any closer he would practically be laying on her.

Glancing over she noticed a soft, contented, smile on his face as he slept. He muttered something unintelligible under his breath and, much to her horror, shifted even closer. For a brief moment a surge of irritation shot through her and she nearly pushed him away.

But then he breathed out in a heavy puff and the warm breath ruffled her fur, sending an odd warmth down her spine. He seemed so content, so peaceful, that she didn't want to wake him up. Besides, it would save him embarrassment and save her from having to deal with the ramble he'd no doubt launch himself into.

She let her eyes close for a minute as she attempted to shift from under his arm. The second she began to move he tightened his grip, holding her to him as if life itself was at stake. He muttered under his breath again, this time obviously a complaint, and his brows furrowed.

This might be harder than she first thought.

She waited another minute until she was sure he was sleeping deeply before attempting her escape again...and was met with the same consequences. Tigress rolled her eyes before trying a different approach. This time she tried lifting his arm off of her. Slowly and carefully she began picking up the heavy limb...

And Po promptly clamped his arm around her and tugged her even closer.

She was now pressed up against him completely, his nose buried in the fur of her neck, and one of his legs now slung over one of hers. The worse part, Tigress realized, was that this was actually rather comfortable. The warmth, the close physical contact that she normally found so uncomfortable, it was pleasant. She almost... _almost_...didn't want to leave this embrace. It was comfortable, secure, and warm.

It was...Po.

And also even more reason for her to get free. She probably shouldn't allow herself to become too accustomed to this kind of contact. It was a little _too_ nice and it might just lead somewhere she wasn't sure she was ready to even contemplate. This needed to stop. Now.

She doubted the panda was about to just let go though. He seemed to be far too comfortable and so soundly asleep that Tigress wasn't sure anything would be able to wake him. At least now she knew that he _could_ have an iron grip if he really wanted to.

With a quiet sigh she stared up at the ceiling of the cave as she tried to think up a plan of action. It wasn't easy with a giant panda nearly squashing her flat against him and breathing against her neck. And those tingles his breathing elicited didn't help much either.

Suddenly she had an idea.

It was slightly devious, but under the circumstances she felt it was the only way. With a light smirk Tigress began twisting her arm, pulling it further and further from under Po's arm until, finally, she managed to get it free. It was a small victory, but the beginning of her freedom. Carefully she reached over...

And began tickling the panda.

He laughed in his sleep in response. She continued to tickle him, moving her sheathed claws gently back and forth from his chin to his side until...finally...the panda jumped up, releasing his grip around her waist, and blinking in confusion with his sleep-filled laughter fading.

As soon as he'd released her, Tigress had turned over onto her side. With her back to the panda and her eyes closed as if sleeping she couldn't see him, but she could practically feel his confused gaze flickering around the darkened cave.

"Huh," she heard Po whisper. "Weird."

Tigress smirked as she sensed the panda laying back down, this time a respectable distance away from her. Her satisfied smirk faded, however, as something that felt oddly like disappointment washed over her. She actually missed his presence close to her. Without him so close she felt...alone. Cold almost.

Damn that panda.

* * *

A/N 2: Thoughts? Okay, here are three more choices for the next chapter. Angst Tigress POV, Po has a long overdue conversation with Tigress, or Po waiting for Tigress. Once again, I can't say anymore without giving something away.


	3. An Overdue Conversation

A/N: I'm not entirely sure I like this oneshot. It was one of the first KFP things I wrote, and I'm not convinced that it worked the way I had imagined it would at the time. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

* * *

He could do this. He could _totally_ do this. He was the Dragon Warrior! He could do this...

He couldn't do this.

Why had he ever listened to Viper? How could she possibly think this was a good idea? It was going to get him killed! And if, somehow, he survived than Tigress wouldn't so much as be his friend anymore. If that happened...if that happened Po wasn't sure he'd be able to show his face in the Palace again. Seeing her and knowing they couldn't be friends anymore would rip his heart out and tear it into teeny tiny pieces of misery and pain.

Having Tigress as his best friends would be better than not having her in his life at all. So why was he doing this? Oh right, because Master 'Know-What-You-Should-Do-More-Than-You-Do' Viper said he needed to go through with it before it was too late. Too late for what he wasn't even sure.

What he did know was that Tigress was going to kill him, kick him down the Palace steps, or reject him all together and give him the cold shoulder. He wasn't sure which would be worse at this point. Maybe he could still get out of this. If he turned and headed to his room now than maybe he could...

There was a hiss behind him as something, _someone_ , slithered by. "Don't even think about it, Po." Viper shot him a pointed look then glanced pointedly at the kitchen doors and back at him. "Just do it."

Po watched as she continued on her way down the hallway towards the student rooms. This was it. He was going to do it. He took a deep breath and pushed open the kitchen doors. Tigress was, as he already knew, sitting at the table. Having trained through lunch she was just now getting something to eat. Tofu by the looks of it.

At his entrance she looked up. "Po," she greeted before her eyes flickered to the hallway behind him and back. "I thought I heard Viper."

Po forced himself to grin as he inched his way closer to the table. "You did, yeah. She, uh, passed me in the hallway and said hello."

Tigress' unreadable gaze lingered on him. "I see."

He continued to smile tensely as they stared at each other. "So..." he began, drawing the word out in an effort to break the silence. "You're having tofu."

She didn't even glance down at her plate. "Yes."

This was going to be harder than he had even imagined. He contemplated running, but then Tigress would _know_ something was wrong instead of just suspecting it like she probably did now. He could just plop down in a chair and try to carry on a normal conversation, but at this rate Po wasn't sure he'd be able to form a very coherent sentence. Let alone a conversation.

After an extended silence in which Tigress watched him impassively he sighed. "This is ridiculous." He looked down at the floor with a mix between a pout and a disgruntled look. "I'm the Dragon Warrior! This shouldn't be this hard!"

"Po," Tigress said calmly, getting his attention. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, Tigress, I..." He trailed off, mentally berating himself for being such a coward. He was about to lose his best friend though, someone he loved more than dumplings and noodles and Kung Fu combined. That knowledge would be enough to scare anyone, right?

"For me to understand what you are trying to say," the feline began. "You're going to have to actually finish your sentence."

He took a deep breath. Released it. Took another deep breath and tried to summon all his courage. This was it. He was going to do. It might just ruin their lives, or at least his, but he needed to do it. He needed to know once and for all what would happen. He could do this. He _needed_ to do this.

"Tigress, I really, really, _really_ like you," he blurted out in one breath, then promptly shut his eyes and prepared for the inevitable pain.

But it didn't come.

He was still standing, still breathing, and still able to feel his extremities. So it was the cold shoulder approach she was going to go for. Just great...

"Po."

It was spoken so softly, so tenderly, that he wasn't sure if it'd been Tigress or his imagination. Slowly he opened his eyes, expecting the worse, but what he saw instead shocked him. Tigress was still there, but not only was she there...she was standing right in front of him. He hadn't even heard her chair move.

She was also smiling softly and he could swear there was a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Po, I'm not going to hurt you," she assured him, her subtle smile turning into a light smirk.

Po blinked a couple times. He was still frozen in place, otherwise he would have probably started backing out of the kitchen by now. "You're...not?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"As long as you don't start rambling."

Po chuckled half-heartedly. "No rambling, I promise." Another moment of silence passed between them. Tigress had yet to take her piercing eyes off of him, and he was doing everything possible not to look directly at her. If he was going to get rejected he at least didn't want to have to see her disgusted expression.

The silence was starting to make him even more nervous though. He cleared his throat and chanced glancing at her. "So, what now?" It was a pretty lame thing to say, but it was a pretty good question he thought.

"Now, if you don't mind, I would like to finish my lunch."

"Oh, right! Sorry. Yeah, you finish eating. I'll just..." He started backing up, fully intent on making a break for it before he could embarrass himself further.

"Po," she said, stopping him instantly.

He looked up and their eyes met. Po was nearly speechless upon seeing the emotions displayed there for him to see. It was the most emotion, besides anger, he had ever seen her show. Even when she had hugged him in Gongmen City it had been...different. That time it had been more heat-of-the-moment. This was calm, warm, peaceful, and just...loving. He couldn't think of any other way to describe that look.

Po swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Yeah?"

"Join me," she instructed.

"O...kay."

When he started shuffling a little closer Tigress stopped, turned, and looked as if she were debating something. Whatever it was it only lasted a second. Before Po even had time to realize what she was doing, Tigress reached over and grabbed his paw to lead him back to the table.

She sat down and he sat in the chair next to her. He wasn't sure what to do or what to say. Nothing had really been solved. He still didn't have the answers he had come for on whether or not she felt the same. The look she'd given him moments ago had been a pretty good clue, but it didn't stop his stomach from twisting into a knot. He really wanted her to tell him out loud. He'd take anything at this point just so long as he could know for sure.

"Tigress, are you...okay with this?"

The tiger glanced over at him. "Okay with what?"

Po tapped his fingertips together out of nervous energy. "With me, um, having these feelings...for you..." Before she could answer he continued, picking up speed as he went. "I know it might be a bit awkward if it's all one sided and everything, but I thought you should know and I really wanted to know whether or not you might possibly feel the same and Viper...she said I needed to talk to you about it so I did, but if it's going to be weird...I mean I really don't want to lose your friendship, Tigress, and..."

"Po!" Tigress said firmly, placing a paw on his tapping fingers to get them to still. His eyes widened and his mouth went dry at the touch. "You promised you wouldn't ramble," she pointed out, but with a hint of teasing behind her words.

He smiled nervously. "Sorry."

Tigress squeezed his paws before releasing them and placing her own paw on the side of his face. "You have nothing to be concerned about, panda," she stated softly, but firmly. Her eyes practically pierced through his skull, as if looking deep inside for his very chi, and he was memorized by the fiery passion he saw staring at him. "I am not very well versed in these types of situations, but I assure you," she paused again, giving her words time to sink in slowly, as she ran her fingers through his fur in a way that sent shivers down his spine. "…That what I feel towards you is far more than friendship. It's something I've grown accustomed to and something I don't want to lose."

Po honestly wasn't sure where he managed to get the words from, but somehow he actually spoke. "Why didn't you ever say anything?" he asked in a whisper, completely mesmerized still.

"The same reason you didn't," Tigress answered. Her paw left his face, leaving that spot to feel oddly cold and empty to him. "Your friendship is just as important to me and I...didn't want to risk losing it. It's also taken me awhile to accept what I've been feeling," she confessed.

"But now you have?" he asked hopefully, some of his nervousness giving way to excitement as his heart did a couple summersaults.

She graced him with a soft smile and inclined her head in a nod. "I have."

Po couldn't contain his joy any longer. He jumped up from the table, the chair falling over in the process, and flung his arms into the air as he bounced from foot to foot. "Yes!" Before he really thought about it he then abruptly leaned down and engulfed the tiger in a hug, burying his face in the fur of her neck, and smiling broadly the whole time. "You're so awesome, Tigress!"

To his continuing excitement and joy he felt her own arms wrap around his torso, her paws running over his back. Another shiver ran down his spine as her fingers weaved through his fur. Po wasn't sure it was possible to be any happier than he was at that very moment.

Until a loud cough interrupted the moment and his eyes snapped open.

If that was Master Shifu he was going to be dead in five seconds flat. Po jumped away from Tigress and looked over at the doorway with widening eyes. The relief he felt at seeing that it was only Monkey and Mantis was so overwhelming, that he actually felt his shoulders slump a fraction.

"Uh, guys..." Mantis began, staring at the scene in shock. "Master Shifu is looking for Tigress..."

Tigress stood calmly and made her way stoically to the door. "Thank you for informing me," she said simply, as if their friends hadn't just walked in on a rather tender and extremely intimate scene. Without another word she was gone.

Leaving Po to squirm under the teasing that was sure to come.


	4. I'm Sorry

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: Ok, this one is a bit more angst-y than the previous drabbles/oneshots. It's also different in that this drabble is a first person POV. I don't usually write first person, so ones like this won't come around often. Basically, this one is just...different. The next one I post will be much happier though, I promise. Until then, I hope you enjoy this short little trip through angst land via Tigress. (Warning: Implied Character Death) Set sometime after the first movie and AU.

* * *

When you first arrived at the Palace I saw you as nothing more than an outsider. You were nothing but an intruder. You didn't belong amongst us and your attempts at Kung Fu were a mockery. So I ignored you and your attempts at friendship.

I did not notice you until after you had defeated Tai Lung. When I finally did, I realized you had the kindest...the warmest...heart of anyone I had ever encountered. I suddenly saw who and what you were.

You were a hero.

A hero with a warrior spirit and a loving heart. For that I could respect and admire you.

I am sorry for not seeing you sooner. I apologize, Dragon Warrior, for the things I said and the way I acted towards you. I now realize that you did not deserve it. Perhaps my behavior towards you proved why I was not chosen as the Dragon Warrior. None of us could have had the heart you possessed. I understand now what made you the Dragon Warrior. It was the same characteristics which made you such a good friend. And you were the best friend I ever had. Or will ever have again.

I am sorry, Dragon Warrior, that I did not see all of this sooner.

I'm sorry, Po, for not telling you all of this sooner.

Mostly though, I'm sorry that I could not save you.


	5. Fifty Sentences

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Kung Fu Panda. Obviously.

A/N: You've all probably seen the various versions of this challenge somewhere. Basically, you write either a sentence or a drabble based on fifty or a hundred single word prompts. I chose the single sentence for fifty words version. I actually did more than fifty though, so I'll probably wind up finishing off another list and posting that set of fifty at some point. For now, here's this. There's Po/Tigress as well as other things. Also, I already have fic ideas in mind for some of these, so there's a chance a few sentences will get their own oneshot/fic at some point. If there's one that you're particularly interested in let me know!

* * *

1\. Determination

The panda was stubborn, but Shifu had faced far more hardheaded opponents before and would not allow him to make a mockery out of Kung Fu no matter how sure Master Oogway was that the pathetic panda was the Dragon Warrior.

2\. Outrage

' _How dare he'_ , Tigress thought furiously to herself as she stormed out of the student barracks in an attempt to get as far away from Po as she possibly could.

3\. Layers

Viper knew there was more to Tigress than the feline liked to let on, but she also knew that the tiger wasn't about to be broken down into her individual layers either, at least not unless you were a black and white giant panda with a knack for never shouting up.

4\. Fear

Tigress had felt fear before, but what she felt as she watched Po fall to his knees was something beyond anything she had ever felt.

5\. Courage

Crane knew he had to do it, he knew it couldn't be put off any longer, and he also knew that pushing open the door to Tigress' room would take far more courage than he had ever needed before.

6\. Sadistic

After three hours of running up and down the Thousand Steps plus four hours of balancing on a tiny pole, with Master Shifu still smirking sadistically at him as he tried to keep breathing, Po now knew just how evil his master could really be.

7\. Curious

He'd watched the panda closely, looking for any secrets or signs of deception, but Mantis had yet to figure out how Po put all those bean buns in his mouth.

8\. Lightning

Lightning struck in the distance, briefly illuminating their surroundings and casting an almost eerie glow around the goose in front of her, but yet the young tiger cub found herself more afraid of what lay behind her than the storm and the stranger she now faced.

9\. Numbered

The piece of parchment paper had numbers written messily down it as if it were meant to be some kind of list, but it was the first sentence, a declaration of love, which followed the first number that caught Tigress' attention and made her eyes widen.

10\. Stranger

The tiger he was staring at was someone he didn't even know anymore, someone completely different from the Kung Fu master he'd once called his friend, and more like a stranger than the Tigress he'd once known.

11\. Letters

As Tigress read through each letter she could practically see Tia Lung's transition from loving and devoted son to angry and bitter enemy while the words written in the previously unread letters grew colder and more aggressive.

12\. War

The slowly narrowing eyes of the tiger at the kitchen table spoke of the war that was brewing between her and the oblivious panda and, though Monkey wasn't sure what had caused the battle that was about to break out, he hoped that Po was ready for the backlash and that he himself could get out of the way in time.

13\. Countdown

Only 332 steps of the Thousand Steps to go, 332 more candles to light, and then Po would have Tigress' birthday present half-way finished.

14\. Swim

While Mantis' vision swam in and out of focus, feeling almost as if he were underwater, he vowed to never let Po talk him into pranking Tigress ever again.

15\. Shoe

A broad smile worked its way onto Po's face as he watched Shifu walk by calmly, casually, as if he wasn't barefoot and as if he hadn't just given a crying baby boar his shoes, thereby proving to a gawking crowd that the old, gruff master did in fact have a heart buried under all that scary and aloof exterior.

16\. Chaos

The universe seemed to be a swirling mass of chaos to match his own inner battle, yet as Shifu opened his eyes to find Tia Lung standing in front of him everything suddenly seemed to quiet, leaving him with more clarity than he'd had in a very long time.

17\. Despair

The Soothsayer stood amongst the burnt fields of the panda village, observing the still smoking houses and desolation, while a sudden sense of remorse washed over her at seeing such destruction.

18\. Peace

Shifu was a well versed warrior, but Oogway knew that of all the things he could teach his student, inner peace was not one of them no matter how much he wished to give such healing peace to Shifu's shattered heart.

19\. Carry

The boat would have to carry her son to safety, the radishes would have to be a substitute for her arms to keep him warm and protected, because she could no longer keep her little baby panda alive if she kept him with her.

20\. Shock

Nothing could have prepared Tia Lung for the answer which that old turtle chose to give, nothing could have shocked him so much as being denied the Dragon Scroll, and nothing could have pained him as much as the disappointment written on his father's face.

21\. Destiny

His son had finally had the noodle dream, and it was a fact which made the old goose proud because now Po could really follow in his footsteps and join him in the noodle making business just as he'd always known would be his son's destiny.

22\. Sarcasm

Po knew that Tigress could be sarcastic at times, but he hoped more than anything that she hadn't been sarcastic when she'd told him that she'd missed him.

23\. Equal

Though he knew that he'd never be good enough for her, Po also knew that when it came to loving Tigress, he had no equal and that was something he would always be proud of.

24\. Half

They say that a soul mate is the other half of your heart, but until Tigress had met Po, she hadn't really believed that the missing half of her heart actually existed.

25\. Game

Shifu watched from out of sight as Tigress chased Po around the training hall courtyard and, to any other observer, it may have appeared that the feline was furious with the panda, but Shifu knew that this was their own sort of game that they played when they thought no one was looking.

26\. Strength

Strength, like inner peace, was something that came with years of pain, and of turmoil, and it was something Shifu knew far too well.

27\. Burden

It was a heavy weight he carried on his shoulders, the responsibility of being a father, but Mr. Ping wouldn't trade all the broken bowls and nearly broken wings for anything as long as it meant he could keep his baby panda with him always.

28\. Watchful

The hammer of Thundering Rhino stood unmoving in the courtyard like a stone guardian, a lingering piece of the legendary warrior left behind to watch over the city, and there it would continue to stand as a symbol of Kung Fu for many years to come.

29\. Children

Shifu couldn't fault the Dragon Warrior for offering the Palace as a temporary housing alternative after the orphanage had burned down, but as the children of the orphanage ran around the courtyard with little restraint his ear twitched in annoyance all the same.

30\. Past

They all had a past, most of them had one secret or another, but Tigress couldn't help but feel especially curious about the ghosts which the panda had hidden away from them.

31\. Energy

They were losing him and no matter how much Tigress tried to deny it, the Dragon Warrior's life was fading as his energy began to dwindle, leaving the panda a mere shadow of his once high spirited self.

32\. Reward

Po's eyes widened as a soft, barely noticeable, chuckle escaped Tigress lips and suddenly he knew that all the embarrassment in the world would be worth it to hear that sound again.

33\. Truth

Honesty was something which Shifu had always demanded of his students, but as he stood before Tigress he couldn't bring himself to give her the answer to the question of who her parents were because sometimes the truth wasn't worth the pain it would cause.

34\. Justice

' _There was justice in the universe after all_ ,' Viper thought to herself as she watched Mantis fall down the Thousand Steps after Po had accidentally performed his new 'experimental' move on him.

35\. Curiosity

It was curiosity which had driven Po to Tigress' room while she wasn't around, but it was fear that made him try to hide under her cot when she returned, and shock that left him sprawled there when she didn't kill him on sight.

36\. Somber

There was a silence in the Hall of Warriors as those gathered watched what they thought they would never see, a helpless feel for some, and a heart wrenching sense of loss as their master took one last shuttering breath before his eyes slid closed forever.

37\. Greed

She'd never felt so possessive, so intent to have someone all to herself, but the burning need washing over her was almost too overwhelming to ignore as she watched Po stirring a pot of noodles.

38\. Recollection

Mr. Ping sighed as he sat alone at one of the restaurant tables with the candle light illuminating the night just enough for him to see the painting of his son which he'd been staring at for nearly half an hour.

39\. Souvenir

"Allow me to give you a souvenir," Tigress said dangerously just seconds before she swiped her unsheathed claws across the panda's cheek, leaving him with very distinct claw marks to remember her by.

40\. Tear

The fact that there was moisture gathering in her eyes told Po just how much pain Tigress was really in, yet as much as he wanted to take it all away he knew there was nothing he could do, and that fact made tears begin to sting the corners of his own eyes.

41\. World

She deserved everything he could and everything he couldn't give her, she deserved to know love and peace, and if he could Po would give the tiger master the world itself because she deserved nothing less.

42\. Life

Zeng had seen the masters have fun before, especially Masters Mantis and Monkey, but it was only after Master Po had settled in that he could regularly pass the masters and hear them laughing so freely.

43\. Rope

It was an unspoken theory that Po was the heart of the Jade Palace masters, but Viper was beginning to believe that he was also the thick, soft, slightly bouncy rope that held them all together as one big family whether they wanted to be or not.

44\. Killer

He was dangerous, her instincts told her that he would only bring her trouble, but Tigress knew that it was the panda's smile that would eventually do away with her remaining resolve and slice away at her well-guarded heart.

45\. Hesitant

Crane sighed softly as he tried to ignore the whispering coming from the room next to his, but no matter how much he tried to pretend he wasn't hearing what he thought he was hearing he knew that, behind that wall, Po really was playing with his action figures.

46\. Sunlight

The sun was just barely beginning to peak over the horizon, spreading its warming rays over the valley and chasing the lingering rain clouds away, but Shifu saw none of the beauty as he stood at the Thousand Steps and looked out over the destruction which Tia Lung had left in his wake.

47\. Hold

The young tiger cub simply wanted some tender contact after hurting her knee, something to remind her that she wasn't alone, so with a soft smile Oogway placed his staff down and gently took the young cub in his arms, hugging her lightly as she tried not to cry on his shell.

48\. Help

She was crying out for help on the inside, yearning for someone to listen to her pain and fear, but as much as Tigress wanted to share her inner and long buried turmoil she also couldn't bring herself to voice any of it.

49\. Safe

The teasing jeers of the other children about his size still rang in the young panda's ears, but as his dad wrapped his wings around him he suddenly felt safe, protected, and loved no matter how different he was.

50\. Promise

The crestfallen expression Po wore made Viper feel immensely bad for him, so with a comforting smile she placed the tip of her tail on the panda's shoulder and said, with plenty of conviction, "Don't worry, we'll find your action figures, Po."

* * *

A/N 2: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.


	6. Analysis

A/N: This isn't related to one of the 'Fifty Sentences' from the last chapter (those will probably come later). It's just another oneshot that I've had written for awhile. It's a little ramble-y I think, but I figured I should post it. I hope you enjoy it anyway and, as always, thanks so much for taking the time to read and review! So, here it is. Tigress introspective revolving mostly around Po/Tigress.

* * *

"Night, Tigress!"

Tigress looked back over her shoulder at the panda stretched out on his cot. Po was smiling tiredly at her and waving goodbye with his left paw, the only paw he could currently lift. For someone who had only a few hours previously been thrown several hundred feet by an extremely angry bull, landed on a brick wall, and then pummeled by several smaller bandits he looked impressively cheerful.

Perhaps Mantis had tweaked something the wrong way when he performed acupuncture on the injured panda. Or it was simply Po being...Po. She had come to expect the unusual from him.

Tigress dipped her head with a small, barely visible, smile in his direction as a form of acknowledgment before turning and making her way out of his room. As she headed to her own room across the hall to settle down for the night, she could hear the others talking quietly amongst themselves as they too returned to their own rooms.

Once all was quiet Tigress' eyes slipped closed. She began breathing slowly and deeply in an effort to find some allusive sleep. Her mind, however, would not shut off. The analytical thought process her mind often used began going over the events of the day over...and over…and over.

As a result she knew three things with absolute certainty.

Firstly, she was now sure that the Bei Dao bandits were mostly brute strength and hostility. They had very little subtly and even less creativity. Perhaps due to their numbers and strength they were overly confident. Over confidence would be their downfall. With the knowledge of this weakness they would be able to defeat the Bei Dao during their next encounter. She would be sure to pass this analysis on to Master Shifu first thing in the morning.

The second thing Tigress knew for sure was that Po could have nearly died. Again. He was becoming far too accustomed to nearly dying. Facing death was her territory, not his. He did not deserve such a fate.

The third fact tied in with the second. It was pain. Not physical pain, however. She had felt a similar, all encompassing, discomfort when she had watched as Po was hit with Shen's canon and was thought to be dead. It was a tightness and pressure in her chest. A dark shadow casting its cold bleakness over her. It was the feeling of a piece of her heart shattering into tiny dust sized pieces.

When had she allowed Po, a clumsy naive panda, to squeeze through the cracks in the well-built wall placed around her heart? Better yet, when had the small cracks in that wall appeared? When was it that she had slipped? Had she not promised herself to lock away emotions that might hinder her mastery of Kung Fu? Having these...feelings...for a fellow master, for anyone really, was an obstacle.

A distraction.

A weakness.

Since when had she allowed any of those things to get in her way? Worst of all was that for some reason the prospect of allowing Po past her defenses didn't seem like such a horrible idea. That fact both scared and simultaneously thrilled her.

Why had she blocked these emotions in the first place? Why had she guarded herself so closely all these years? She could answer these questions. It was for control, for her own protection, for survival, and possibly even out of pride for her skills. She had very viable reasons.

But suddenly those reasons didn't hold as much strength as they once had. Maybe that hammer to Po's stomach had also knocked her sanity for a loop. So then what had all her training and guarding and holding back of emotions accomplished?

Tigress' mind drifted back over the last several hours, then slowly the last year, and the year before that, and so on. Every smile, every laugh, every clumsy mistake, and mostly every close call. As the memories flashed before her mind's eye she suddenly felt raw...open...

The emotions she'd held in check threatened to overflow. The still fresh fear of Po dying weighed heavily while the scars of past pain reasserted themselves tenfold. Her heartbeat, which was usually so steady even in the midst of a battle, began to pick up pace. Her fists clinched at her sides.

With a deep breath she slowly regained control. Not a single tear that was threatening to fall managed to leak from her eyes. She was Tigress. She was strong. Even stronger than emotion.

Wasn't it Oogway who she once overheard saying that 'it is the strong who love, not the weak' though?

Wouldn't she love Po, deep in the crevices of her heart, whether she admitted to her feelings or not? They might possibly go away with time or perhaps dull, but there were no guarantees of that. There would be a deep caring for him even as just friends, and that caring could be the cause of just as many potential distractions whether they confessed to 'other' feelings or not. If she were as strong as she claimed then she could overcome those distractions and any other obstacles in her way.

She was strong.

Therefore she could risk the challenge of love.

But that only settled one aspect of this predicament. There was still the problem of if the panda in question returned her deep affection. A small voice in her head said 'yes', but the majority of her being said it wasn't possible. It was something she would have to contemplate tomorrow night. For right now she needed to rest.

Ten minutes later and Tigress still lay awake listening to the sound of her friends' rhythmic breathing though. She wasn't entirely sure what urged her to stand or what force caused her to silently move to Po's room. As she stood outside the closed door she listened intently, and could clearly hear his soft breathing and occasional muffled mumble in his sleep.

With a well-practiced stealth she slid the door open and took a step inside. Po didn't wake up. He was sleeping on his side and facing her, a blanket tangled around his feet and the bandage around his right arm already nearly coming unwound from his twisting and turning. He was resting peacefully though, even with the soreness he was no doubt feeling.

In the darkness it took a moment for her to realize what it was that he held so tightly to his chest. When she did, however, a soft smile appeared on her face, well hidden in the darkness. There, nestled close to his chest as if it were his most precious possession, was an action figure. A Tigress action figure.

The little replica looked somewhat worn, but that only made the warmth in her chest spread and engulf her completely. If he could love a toy as much as he obviously loved that one, than what would his love for an actual living person be like? What would it be like to be loved whole heartedly by the Dragon Warrior?

She had a feeling she already knew.

With the soft smile still firmly in place Tigress stepped further inside and closed the distance between them. She carefully bent over and straightened the blanket tangled around the panda's feet. Once done she watched him a moment longer, taking comfort in his steady breathing and peaceful expression.

"Goodnight, Po." Her words were spoken so softly she doubted he would have been able to hear them even if he had been awake. With a last lingering look she turned and headed back to her room just as quietly as she had come.


	7. Day of Triumph

Disclaimer: I still don't own Kung Fu Panda.

A/N: This takes place during the final battle in the second movie. Just a little something from Tigress' POV. (And it's almost time for the new movie! Exciting, right?)

* * *

Focus was difficult through the pain. Her limbs felt weighed down, her body was racked with red hot bursts of throbbing pain, and the exhaustion overtaking her was too much to fight off for long. She was barely aware of the water splashing onto her face and soaking her fur. If not for whatever she was haphazardly laying on she would likely have already drowned. Even the effort it would take to open her eyes was too great.

Noise in the distance was muffled. She couldn't distinguish voice from explosion or her own heartbeat from the splashing of the water against the debris that kept her afloat. It all blended together, adding to the slow swirl of thoughts and sensations in her mind. As the haze increased, Tigress found her fighting spirit dwindling. The piece of her that never allowed for failure, the urging voice that demanded her to keep fighting with every breath she still retained, was suddenly silent.

All was lost. The fight was over. She could do nothing more than cling tiredly to life, more out of habit than a real desire now. What was there left to fight for?

It was a faint sensation in her paw that drew her out of the fog. Just a feather light touch. It was so gentle, so caringly soft, that Tigress was surprised she was able to feel it at all through her numb paw. The extent of tenderness conveyed through the simple touch surprised her as well.

Tigress forced her eyes open as she lifted her head to investigate. A soft, tired smile was all the reaction she could give to seeing the panda looking at her with such concern.

Po was alive. She had succeeded in that much. It gave her some comfort to know he would live to fight another day. Or perhaps not fight ever again. Against a weapon such as Shen's there was little reason to. But he would live. And that was more comforting than she could have imagined. The world needed the Dragon Warrior. If only for his large heart and unfailing kindness.

The exertion to lift her head soon proved too much. As breathing became more difficult, Tigress rested her head back down, her eyes closing of their own accord as exhaustion once again overtook her. There was too much pain. Too much cold water soaking through her clothes and fur. And not nearly enough hope left to fight for anymore.

She felt the warming, tender touch on her paw suddenly disappear. A second later she felt her raft being pushed backwards. It took all her strength to open her eyes again. Upon seeing Po swimming away her heart pounded loudly in her ears.

She couldn't let him go. She refused to. If he left, he would try to face Shen. Which meant he would likely face his death. Again. She couldn't watch that happen.

She reached out her paw, her arm stretching out for him. To grab him. To shake him into using his head. To hold him close and keep him safe. It was no use though. The distance between them grew, and her legs wouldn't obey the faint order she tried to give them to move. Her arm soon went limp, her breath hitching painfully in her chest, as something stung the corner of her eyes.

Loud noises filled the air around her, but the muffled haze only lifted a fraction. Water splashed against her with more force, sending a cold chill down her spine and causing her to nearly slip from the makeshift raft. Through a daze Tigress saw Po move in slow, graceful movements that she had seen only a handful of times before. She recognized the stance, but couldn't believe it.

"Kill him! Somebody kill him!"

No, not today.

Shen's order succeeded in finally breaking through the haze around her. Her muscles tensed and her paws clenched. He was speaking about Po, she knew. Po, who did not deserve to die. Who she had watched being shot with a canon just a few hours before and who was now being pelted with more. She would not watch that again. She had to protect the panda. It was a vow she had made to herself long before this day.

As determination and anger washed over her, Tigress found a new strength filling her as well. She lifted her head, her eyes narrowed at Shen and his canon, and pushed herself a little further up. Her gaze darted across the water until she found Po. What she saw caused her eyes to widen.

It was astonishing. Remarkable even. She'd never seen anything like it in all her life. Only Master Oogway's flaming arrow blocking technique was similar. How was it even possible? She watched as the balls of fiery metal flew towards Po, who quickly diverted them back at Shen and the other ships. He moved with such ease and confidence. With a smile on his face even.

Hope was returning with each second, with each destroyed ship. Tigress could hear Gongmen City citizens murmuring in astonishment and cheering on the Dragon Warrior. She caught a brief glimpse of an equally surprised, and equally pleased, Master Shifu. She had no attention for her Master this time though. Her focus was on Po.

An explosion, even larger and louder than the others, caused the water to propel her roughly sideways. The blast knocked her off the chunk of wood and sent her under the water. Her world exploded with pain as her lungs tried and failed to find air in the cold depths. Tigress forced her stiff legs to kick, her arms swinging in wide arcs as she swam for the surface. Once she emerged from beneath the water she breathed deeply, and the ache in her chest eased. She had barely broke the surface of the water when she felt a tail wrap around her upper arm and pull her further away from the chaos.

It was Monkey, Tigress realized as she lifted herself onto another piece of debris. He held a paw to his head as if injured, but both his and Viper's eyes were locked on the remains of Shen's ship further out in the water. She followed their gaze and felt her heart beat faster as she watched Po battle with Shen. There was no way she would be able to get there in time to help him. A fact that was proven seconds later.

The ship exploded as the canon fell on Shen. Po was thrown into air, and seconds later disappeared under the water. She felt Viper tug at her wrist and relented, climbing up onto the dock at the snake's urging. Her focus was still on Po though. Her eyes searched the water's surface, waiting to see him emerge. As the second's passed her eyes widened and the dread began to set in once again. She was only a heartbeat away from jumping into the water herself when, finally, the panda popped out of the water and gasped for air.

Nearly losing Po was becoming far too common, Tigress decided. She moved swiftly over to the dock's edge and held out a paw to the panda as he caught his breath. She was more than pleased to see him alive and well, which showed in the small smile that crossed her face. When he finally noticed and took her offered paw she pulled him up so he could climb onto the dock and out of the water.

Tigress didn't even try to hide her smirk or the approving look she gave him from the others. " _That_ was pretty hardcore," she told him.

She was impressed. Proud of him even. And he deserved to know that. So rarely did she compliment openly, but today he had earned it. He seemed shocked for a moment. Awe mingled with joy as he stared at her. He then moved faster than she had ever witnessed him move.

When the hug came she didn't expect it. She wouldn't have expected how nice it felt either. It was a foreign feeling though, and caught her off guard. As he hugged her close, even lifting her off her feet slightly, she made no move to push him away. She was still too shocked to and not sure what to do or how to react.

After a few seconds he seemed to become aware of what he had done. She felt him freeze before he released her quickly. She continued staring ahead, blinking through her shock. It was only when she saw Master Shifu's staff pass by that she snapped back to reality.

The warm embrace, while unexpected, had been nice. Knowing Po was alive was even better though. Seeing her friends and teammates together, and the battle now clearly won, made everything else unimportant. Even the throbbing of her sides faded into the background as fireworks began to dance in the early morning sky.

She placed her paw on Po's shoulder as the sparkling lights filled the sky. It was over. They had won. _Po_ had won. She vowed to herself in that moment to never allow him to come so close to death again. It was a solemn thought, depressing even, but as fireworks brightened the crumbling city and citizens cheered with joy, Tigress found it impossible to entertain such morbid thoughts for long.

Today was a day of triumph. A day of victory.

All else could wait.


	8. Numbered

A/N: I haven't seen the new movie yet. How about you guys? Did you like it? Anyway, about this oneshot. This one is based off of sentence #9 of the 'Fifty Sentences' chapter (aka Ch.5 ). It was one of the ones requested (special thanks to Soultern). It didn't turn out how I expected, but I think it works all the same. So here we go. Tigress POV and definitely Po/Tigress.

* * *

"Tigress."

Tigress turned to face her master instantly upon hearing him address her. "Yes, Master Shifu."

Po and the rest of the Five were already leaving the Training Hall, and the door swung closed behind Crane just as Master Shifu approached her.

"Since most of the Palace servants are still not well, someone will need to bring the supplies up from the village. I would like you and Po to do so," the red panda instructed.

Tigress inclined her head respectively. Most of the Palace staff had contracted an illness which, while not life threatening, prevented them from doing the majority of necessary tasks around the Palace grounds. "Yes, Master," she replied.

"The supplies will not be ready quite yet, but if you and Po leave soon he will have time to visit with his father," Shifu explained further.

"I'm sure Po will be pleased to hear that."

"I'm sure." Shifu turned to make his way out of the training hall. "Just make sure the two of you return to the Palace before nightfall."

"Yes, Master," Tigress promptly replied before following him out of the Training Hall,

She made her way to the student barracks and down the hallway. The others were absent, but she had spotted the panda enter the barracks just moments before. As she drew closer to his room, she could hear him moving around inside. The door was partially open, and through the gap she could see him moving a small crate from one side of his room to the other. No doubt he was finally straightening up the room, as Master Shifu had instructed him to do several times. He could finish cleaning later though.

"Po," she called to get his attention while pushing open the door.

The panda jumped in surprise just as he was placing the crate on the floor. In turn the crate slipped from his paws enough to tip it over slightly, and a few items spilled out before he could stop them. Po spun towards her though, ignoring the items which now lay scattered across the floor.

"Sorry! I didn't hear you coming, Tigress."

"So it would seem." She glanced over the objects around their feet. There was a rock, a few old scrolls, and a torn piece of material. A rolled up piece of parchment paper had also rolled over to her foot. "Master Shifu wants us to retrieve the supplies from the village," she explained, once again focusing on the panda. "If we leave soon, you will have time to see your father."

"Awesome! Let me just..." He bent down and started picking up the scattered objects that had fallen from the crate.

The sooner he was finished, the sooner they could reach the village and return. In an attempt to help him, and to speed up his clumsy attempt at picking the things up, Tigress bent down and picked up the parchment paper by her foot as well as another scroll nearby. The parchment unrolled slightly as she picked it up and, as she placed the scroll neatly into the crate, she could make out some writing on the parchment paper. Out of curiosity she unrolled it a little more while Po deposited the rest of the things back into the crate.

The piece of parchment paper had numbers written messily down it as if it were meant to be some kind of list, but it was the first sentence, a declaration of love, which followed the first number that caught Tigress' attention and made her eyes widen.

She stared at it for several long moments as Po fished for the ink brush that had rolled under his cot. Her chest constricted as she read the line again. It couldn't be what it seemed like. The ramifications would be overwhelming. Finally, just as Po tossed the brush into the crate, she found her voice again.

"Po, what is this?"

The panda turned and followed her stare. As soon as he spotted the paper in her hands he froze. "It's...um...It's..." he trailed off, his eyes darting back and forth and all the while avoiding looking directly at her.

"Are you going to answer the question?" She watched the panda swallow thickly at her tone. He suddenly stilled, almost as if he was afraid to move so much as a muscle. His gaze slowly moved from the parchment in her hands to her face. There was fear written on his face, but also something else.

It was pain. The kind of emotional pain that accompanied someone who felt sure they were about to lose everything. Po sighed in defeat and looked downwards again. He was trying to accept what he believed to be unavoidable now, she realized.

"It's a...list," he finally answered.

Tigress didn't take her eyes off him. Her tail twitched as her patience began to wear thin. She wanted answers. No, she _needed_ answers. She understood privacy and how important it was. She herself shared little with her friends and fellow masters, but now she found herself unable to just let go. Her name was on his list, and that meant she was involved. She should know what she was involved in.

She tried to keep her voice and appearance calm, but doubted it would last. "I can see that." A few seconds passed as she waited for him to explain further. When he didn't, she pushed a little more. "What does it mean?"

"It's just some things." He reached out to take the parchment, but Tigress held it firmly. When she wouldn't let go he met her eyes.

"What does it have to do with me?" she asked slowly and deliberately, before she released the parchment and let her paw fall to her side. Po moved the paper behind his back while he shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"It's things that I want to do...or, huh,...say. I had one before I was Dragon Warrior, but I started a new one" Po moved over to the crate and began riffling through it. A moment later he turned back to her with a scroll in his hands. He hesitated a second before handing it over to her. "It's a little outdated now."

Tigress glanced up at Po before taking the scroll and unrolling it. He still seemed nervous, as if not entirely sure he really wanted to share this with her. He was offering though, and she wasn't going to just hand it back to him now.

The sentences were set up in a similar format as the other list. She read the first item aloud. "Meet the Furious Five and tell them they are, 'Full of total awesomeness'." She looked up at the panda with an arched eyebrow in response.

"I've done that now," Po said with a nervous smile.

That was an understatement. He seemed to tell them that they were awesome at least once a week. She went back to reading the list without a word. Many of the following items were Kung Fu related, a few even detailing what he would like to say to specific masters. A faint smile crossed her face as she read the dreams of younger Po. A couple were less amusing though. Ones such as, _'Make dad proud'_ and _'What happened to my mom, dad_?'. Scrawled near the bottom was, _'I want to make a real friend who won't laugh at me'_.

When she looked up at Po again, he was staring at the scroll in her paws. She could easily imagine a young Po scribbling these things. Perhaps as he stared up at the mountain and Jade Palace, dreaming of a life amongst his heroes. A life where people didn't take one look at him and laugh or brush him off as useless. She could imagine it far too easily.

A little of the agitation she had been feeling began to fade into the distance. Po had a good heart and skills that they had all underestimated. The memory of how she herself had treated the panda after Master Oogway had chosen him flashed through her mind.

It had been his dream to meet her and the others. He hadn't been seeking the limelight. Hadn't intended to become the Dragon Warrior. He'd probably given up on those fantasies by that point. And when he had finally made it to the Jade Palace, she had treated him unfairly. It must have been devastating.

This was a side of Po that was rarely seen. The panda was usually cheerful. Ready for fun and an adventure. Only a handful of times had she ever witnessed him be so somber and serious. Whenever he was, however, it was always something emotionally painful.

"I see," Tigress stated simply, not sure what else to say. She needed to collect her own thoughts before questioning him further.

"I've done most of those things now," the panda said in an effort to fill the silence.

It was then that she recognized the diversion tactic for what it was. He might have intended the old list to be an explanation, but it had also succeeded in distracting her from her original line of questioning. _Almost_ succeeded at least.

"So you have." She remained unemotional and detached in hopes of persuading him to explain further. "And the new list?"

"It's kind of...personal, Tigress."

"So was this one," she pointed out, handing him the original scroll back.

He took the scroll and looked at it silently for a minute as if debating with himself. Finally, he sighed while curling his paw tighter around the scroll. "You'd just laugh," he muttered.

"No, I wouldn't. Because I am your friend. Your real friend," she added.

A faint smile tugged at the panda's lips for a second before it faded again. "I guess it doesn't matter now anyway. You've seen it already."

"What does it mean, Po?" she asked softly.

Po placed the original scroll down before holding the newer parchment in both hands. He looked over its contents for a moment longer before reluctantly handing it to her. It was a gesture of trust. She knew that, and was honored by it. Many would be honored to have the Dragon Warrior's trust only because he was the Dragon Warrior. She was honored for that reason as well, but mostly because she had somehow earned Po's trust to such an extent that he would share the most hidden part of himself with her.

She reached out and accepted the parchment, but waited until he had a chance to stop her before she unrolled it and looked down at it again. Just like before, it was the first sentence which immediately caught her attention. It was a confession of sorts. A scribbled sentence declaring love to someone, and written as if it were a precise plan of what he would say. There was a name as well. Her first assumption had been that it was her name. The character was written so messily, as if done in a hurry, that she couldn't be sure. The longer she looked at it, the less certain she became.

"Is this about me?" she asked.

Po nodded, avoiding eye contact again.

"I see." The confirmation didn't make anything anymore clear. If anything it made things worse. More awkward at the least. In an effort to clear her thoughts, Tigress forced herself to read further down the list. There weren't as many items as were on the original list. He probably wasn't done adding to it, she figured.

There was a somewhat long winded apology to Master Shifu for the death of Tai Lung, the broken Urn of Whispering Warriors, and several other unfortunate mishaps. There was also a note to thank Shifu and the Furious Five for teaching him and being his friends. ' _Ask_ _Master Ram about the Battle of Three-Horn Mountain'_ had been crossed out, and Tigress realized that must have been what Po and Master Ram had been discussing so intently a couple months before when Ram had visited the Palace.

"What..." Po began, breaking her from her intent reading of the list. "What do you think?"

"I think that you will have a difficult time convincing Master Shifu to let you wear the armor of Master Flying Rhino during our next battle, and even more difficulty convincing him to sing," she answered.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're probably right," Po muttered.

Her eyes flickered to the first sentence again. She knew that was what he was referring to. Everything else on the list was very 'Po' like. The first item was the only thing that really stood out as shocking to her.

"Silly dream," he added in a soft, defeated tone.

Tigress studied the panda closely for a minute. The only time she had seen him so saddened was in the Gongmen City jail. He looked as if his hopes were dwindling, as if the universe itself had betrayed him. She knew it wouldn't be long before he would plaster on a smile and try to move forward, but she also knew the hurt he felt would still linger under the surface.

She rolled the piece of parchment up again and handed it back. "Perhaps you would have more success if you actively worked on obtaining some of those goals," she stated.

Po's brows creased in confusion, and she continued before he could question her meaning.

"Starting at the beginning would possibly be the best method," she added. She waited patiently for him to realize what she was saying. After a few long seconds, a look of dawning realization finally crossed his face. His eyes widened and he appeared to perk up a little.

"At the beginning?"

"That is usually a good place to start."

Po nodded slowly. "I could try."

Tigress inclined her head in acknowledgment. "That's good to hear. I will meet you at the Thousand Steps, Po," she added before turning to leave the panda's room. She had every intention of leaving, of making her escape before the situation could become more awkward. She didn't know if he would take her 'advice' or not, or if what she had insinuated had even helped, but her head was screaming at her to retreat before more damage was done.

"Tigress!"

She stopped just as reached the doorway and turned back around. Po looked as if he hadn't moved. The parchment paper was now clutched in his paw at his side. "Yes, Po?"

"You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, and the most awesome Kung Fu moves, and I think you're awesome. And I love you," he said quickly, the words spilling out all at once. He hadn't even glanced at the paper. Once he was finished the barracks filled with silence.

Though she had read the words, had expected it, Tigress couldn't seem to respond to him now. Hearing such words said aloud was different than reading them. It took longer than she would have expected for them to wash over her and for her mind to catch up with what she had just heard.

After a few more seconds of silence, Tigress moved over to the crate and picked up the ink brush. She dipped it in ink before turning back to a curious, and confused, panda. Without a word she slipped the parchment from Po's paw and turned it over so she could write on the blank side. With graceful brush strokes she began her own list. She wrote a single, simple sentence before handing the paper back to him.

"Tell Po that I love him too," the panda read aloud softly.

When he looked up, his eyes were wide again. If she didn't know better, she would even think that the glistening look to his eyes was from unshed tears. He was obviously shocked, probably afraid to believe what he'd read, and Tigress could certainly understand that feeling. She inclined her head again with a soft smile to ease the doubt he felt.

Before she registered what was happening, Po engulfed her in a hug. He buried his face in her fur as he clung to her, holding her with the desperation of someone parched and given water, but also with the tenderness of someone holding another that they cherished above all else.

Once her surprise faded, Tigress wrapped her arms around him in response and with the knowledge that she had been able to help his dreams come true. That she had helped _both_ their dreams come true.


End file.
